Coconut Egg Nog (Non-Dairy)

When I am buying a new cookbook I usually look through the index to see what kind of ingredients the author is using. I do this for many reasons, first of all if I see too many hard to source or worse ingredients I don't recognize I will often skip it. It's not that I am not adventurous, but I while back I grew weary of trying to find specialty ingredients in Fairbanks. I have lived here long enough to know what's available and what is easy to find by mail order, even then I usually only order from places that I can get several things at once. I recently read an interview with Melissa Clark about her new cookbook and one of the things that convinced me to check it out was the fact that she said something to the effect that she wanted this book to be accessible to everyone, even someone buying their food from a basic chain grocery store. That describes me for sure. Although I doubt I'll be finding calamari in Fred Meyer in February, for the most part this book does ring true to that sentiment.
There is another reason I scan the index looking at ingredients. It is to see if the author and I have similar tastes. There are some foods that people either love or hate and I am aware that coconut is one of them. I personally am a coconut lover. When I say that there were no less than seven recipes with coconut in Melissa Clark's new cookbook there was no longer any doubt this was a cookbook I had to have. I played around quite a bit with the technique on this recipe. I wanted an eggnog that had some texture and was served cold, not room temperature as in the original.  If you are used to store bought egg nog, this one is going to be pretty light. It reminds me of a coconut drink I once had in Mexico with rum. Please feel free to adapt this with your favorite kind of alcohol, or none at all if that's what you like. Also, please note this recipe does contain raw eggs, so it's a good idea to know where your eggs are coming from. You can also use pasteurized eggs if you prefer. Happy Holidays and Cheers!

Amazon.com

Coconut Egg Nog
adapted from Cook This Now

2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used light as it was all that was available)
1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste
1 shot of rum or bourbon
1 shot of cognac or brandy
Generous amount of freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Place the egg yolks and coconut milk in a quart size canning jar or similar sized bowl. Using an immersion blender, mix ingredients until nearly doubled in volume. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer with the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the eggs whites, and alcohol (if using) to the canning jar. You could serve the mixture immediately at room temperature with a spoon. It will be incredibly thick. I recommend putting the lid on it and letting it settle in the fridge for 6-8 hours. Pour the mixture into two glasses and top with freshly grated nutmeg.